Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Fabids: Fabales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (4/24/22):
Desmodium perplexum
FAMILY
Fabaceae
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Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Learn more about Perplexing Tick-trefoil from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Desmodium perplexum
FAMILY
Fabaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Desmodium paniculatum var. paniculatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Desmodium glabellum and D. perplexum (Fabaceae): a morphological reevaluation (Thomas, 2020)
Desmodium perplexum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Desmodium perplexum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Desmodium glabellum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge (Wofford, 1989)
Desmodium paniculatum var. dillenii
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-26-023:
Desmodium perplexum
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Meibomia dillenii
COMMON NAME:
Perplexing Tick-trefoil, Dillen's Tick-trefoil
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_medi8_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm200525_5282
May Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm190604_8972
June Greenville County SC
This & D. glabellum are most typical yet most difficult to separate in NC, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
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JK Marlow jkm190604_8973
June Greenville County SC
Variously sunken into D. paniculatum, D. glabellum, or called D. dillenii, per Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
)
JK Marlow jkm190604_8974
June Greenville County SC
Leaflets broadly to narrowly ovate, 3-9cm, 1.5-3(3.5) times as long as wide, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
COMPARE
Beggar's Lice (Tick-trefoil) species
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JK Marlow jkm190604_8975
June Greenville County SC
Leaf surfaces usually moderately short-pubescent to pilose or upper glabrate, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
JK Marlow jkm190618_9259
June Greenville County SC
Stems usually pilose (vs D. glabellum's stem pubescence typically uncinate), per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
JK Marlow jkm190810_0629
August Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm190903_1187
September Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm190903_1188
September Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm190903_1190
September Greenville County SC
Corolla 6-8(9)mm long, per Leguminosae (Fabaceae), vol 3, part 2, Vascular flora of the southeastern United States (Isely, 1990).
)
JK Marlow jkm190905_13311332
September Greenville County SC
Loment densely uncinulate-puberulent, stipe 3-5mm long, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
)
JK Marlow jkm190905_13311332b
September Greenville County SC
Loment of usually 2-4 broadly rhombic to triangular segments, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas.
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JK Marlow jkm190905_1338
September Greenville County SC
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JK Marlow jkm210907_3538
September Greenville County SC
Blackwell Heritage Preserve
D. paniculatum, glabellum, and perplexum [cause] much determination agony, per Native and Naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the United States (Isely, 1998).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA (4/24/22):
Desmodium perplexum
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Desmodium perplexum
FAMILY
Fabaceae
INCLUDED WITHIN
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Desmodium paniculatum var. paniculatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Desmodium glabellum and D. perplexum (Fabaceae): a morphological reevaluation (Thomas, 2020)
Desmodium perplexum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Native & naturalized Leguminosae (Fabaceae) of the US (Isely, 1998)
Desmodium perplexum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Manual of Vascular Plants of NE US & Adjacent Canada (Gleason & Cronquist,1991)
Desmodium glabellum
INCLUDED WITHIN
Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Blue Ridge (Wofford, 1989)
Desmodium paniculatum var. dillenii
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 098-26-023:
Desmodium perplexum
FAMILY
Fabaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Meibomia dillenii
3465
Forb
Perennial
Native to the Carolinas & possibly Georgia
Common (uncommon in GA Mountains & Piedmont, rare in GA Coastal Plain)
Habitat: Fields, woodland borders, hammocks, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
NEW! Click here to see a map from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US showing range and abundance.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Odd-pinnately compound: 3 leaflets
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Rose-purplish
Bilaterally symmetrical
2-lipped calyx
5-parted papilionaceous corolla
10 stamens, diadelphous, 9 and 1
Superior ovary
Flowers in terminal panicles
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Loment with usually 2-4 broadly rhombic to triangular segments?
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!